Packet-switched communications networks typically employ multiple routers for transmitting and receiving data between devices such as client devices (e.g., computers, servers, smart phones, tablet computing devices, internet-enabled display devices, etc.). However, bufferbloat has become an increasingly pervasive problem in packet-switched computer networks whereby excess buffering of data packets may result in increased latency and jitter, as well as a reduction in the overall network throughput. When bufferbloat is present, high data rate communications, such as latency-sensitive gaming applications, may take too long to complete.
One solution is to use quality of service (QoS) and packet prioritization to transmit higher priority packets ahead of lower priority packets. However, this approach minimizes the delay for high priority packets at the expense of higher delays for other packets. As a result, low priority traffic flows may be susceptible to unacceptable performance if too many packet flows are prioritized. Accordingly, packet prioritization may only be applied to a limited proportion of the network traffic.
Accordingly, there remains a need to improve packet-switched communications, and to balance that need with the strains on the network.